Lake Darling
Renville County, North DakotaView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
↑ up from C at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 110 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Darling in Renville County, North Dakota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 255 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.4 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 4.9 ft
- Typical in September
- 40°F
- Max depth
- ~110 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 255 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2.4 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Lake Darling’s letter
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Lake Darling is a mesotrophic lake in Renville County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 110 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 1 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Renville County, Lake Darling ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2023-07-16. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Darling is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Murky, only visible to about 4.9 ft. Phosphorus 255 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.4 µg/L. TSI 59. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 255 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 59 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Water Temperature
Lake Darling typically sits around 40°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 45°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 47°F) and coldest in Sep (about 40°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 100 field readings (2015–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~110 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~19 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. North Dakota has not published bathymetry for Lake Darling.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Lake DarlingPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Darling
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +1.55 µg/L/yr | 2 |
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Renville County
Nearby Lakes in Renville County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Darling
Where is Lake Darling?
- Lake Darling is a lake in Renville County, North Dakota. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Darling?
- Lake Darling in Renville County, North Dakota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 4.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 255 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.4 µg/L.
Is Lake Darling safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Darling?
- Lake Darling typically sits around 40°F at the surface in September, from 100 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2015–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lake Darling?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Darling, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 110 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Darling?
- Lake Darling has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Darling. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Darling across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at North Dakota's top lakes, each with its grade
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
North Dakota's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More North Dakota Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in North Dakota
Mesotrophic Lakes in North Dakota
Where this data comes from
11 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX11 samples · 2021–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
- 4500 NO3 E ~ Nitrate in Water- Cadmium Reduction
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Depth, fish, and access data from North Dakota Game & Fish
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory